James Potter, Time Travel Extraordinaire
by paperpencil
Summary: James Potter I finds himself flung forward in time to Hogwarts in the time of his grandchildren. The future is a strange and unpleasant place.
1. Chapter 1

**Spoilers – **Everything, including interviews.**  
****Characters – **James Potter I, Albus Potter, Rose Weasley, Scorpius Malfoy, James Potter II, Lily Potter II, Hugo Weasley, Neville Longbottom, Ginny Weasley Potter, Harry Potter and various Weasley clan members.  
**Timeline – **24-25 years post-DH.**  
Series – **Possibly. I can't keep the new kids out of my head.  
**Summary – **James Potter (I) finds himself flung forward in time to Hogwarts in the time of his grandchildren. The future is a strange and unpleasant place.  
**Disclaimer – **J.K. Rowling is the mastermind. Not me.  
**Notes – **Your thoughts are appreciated.

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Later on James Potter would never be able to explain it. One minute he was walking down to the Great Hall for the end of term feast, the next he was lying on his back staring up at the roof of some random corridor. At first he had no idea what had happened, but as he managed to gather together his scrambled wits he decided it must have been Snivellous and his band of snotty Slytherins (a cunning piece of alliteration he had to remember to share with his friends when he saw them).

However, there was no one there to goad at how they had got the jump on him, and he was not retrained in any way. Nor had he been dumped in some out of the way place, it was a just a few corridors down from where he'd been. Somehow, it just didn't smell like a Slytherin trick. Even their more detailed plots tended to be fairly obvious. So either he was still waiting for the punch line, or it was something else entirely.

Voices startled him, and he heard at least two people coming down the corridor. As there was no reason for anyone to be down here right now, he suspected mischief. Either something he wanted to be in on or something he wanted revenge for. Ducking into the shadows behind a suit of armour, he drew his wand and waited to see what would be the next move.

"So anyway," a male voice was saying, "we were all sitting there at the table and Dad and Uncle Ron were asking us about the term and your name came up, Scorpius—"

"Oh don't you dare, Al!" a female piped up in angry denial.

"And Uncle Ron is all, 'you are just friends, right, Rosie, you and Scorpius?'"

"Al!"

"'Because, you know it would break your grandfather's heart if you married a pure blood.' And Rose is right there, dying of embarrassment. Dad and Mum are just about falling out of their chairs with laughter. And Aunt Hermione's all, 'It's all right, Rose, you can marry whoever you like.' And then—"

"Albus Severus Potter! You stop right there!"

"And_then_," the voice continued, seemingly completely unaware of the murder in the girl's – Rose, probably – voice, and James' own shock as he tried to decipher what was going on. He was the only Potter at Hogwarts, who was this impostor (with Snivellous' name it must be a Slytherin trick)?

"—Grandma and Grandpa walk in. And Grandpa is all, 'Rosie is getting married?' And Grandma is, 'But she's too young!' Then Dad really did fall out of his chair. You should have been there Scorp' it was the best laugh I've had all year—"

"I swear, Al, if you utter another word I will curse you into next week and then I will tell Susan Smith why you really broke up with her!"

The three had finally rounded the corner and into James' line of sight. The girl who was probably Rose had a wand pointed right between the eyes of a boy who she claimed was Albus 'Al' _Severus_ Potter. A second boy – apparently Scorpius – was standing to one side, clutching his sides in silent laughter. Both the girl and the second boy were dressed in Gryffindor colours while 'Al' was in Slytherin colours – which probably explained a lot. Unfortunately, he couldn't get a close look at either 'Rose' or 'Al Potter' as he was facing the wrong way and she was partially blocked by his body.

"Oh, come on, Rose. It's all right, it's not as though I don't have the same conversation every holidays with my father – only it isn't half so funny. 'You still friends with that Weasley girl?' 'Yes.' 'Not planning on marrying her are you?' 'No.' 'Good, she's a Gryffindor.' 'So am I.' Honestly, Rose at least your dad doesn't think you were sorted into the wrong house—"

"Bit hard that when you're a Weasley in Gryffindor—"

'Al Potter' shut up with an extra poke from Rose. Scorpius looked a little worried, but they were interrupted by a squelching and a muttering and a third Gryffindor, this one a couple of years younger stormed past.

Rose dropped her arm in surprise and 'Al Potter' reeled back a few steps, but he too, turned to look at the newcomer. Scorpius quickly hid a grin behind his hand. James clutched blankly at the wall as he got a good look at Al's face: it was his own! It had to be a relative – but he had none who were close enough to look like him!

"Lily?" said Rose, distracting James slightly with the use of the name.

"Lils?" asked 'Al Potter' at the same time. "What happened?"

"What do you think?" she snapped.

'Al Potter's' eyes widened dramatically. "He didn't?"

Lily's narrowed. "You knew?!" She went for him with her wand. Rose backed up, holding her hands as if to ward the crazy dripping girl off. Scorpius, looked amused again, but was trying to hide it.

"Whoa! Lily, I knew what he was planning, I had no idea he was going after you – I thought he was planning on hitting some Slytherins. Which is why I was down here with Rose and Scorpius."

Lily made a frustrated noise and stormed off, muttering about owling her parents and just how funny would he find it then? Scorpius managed to wait until she was probably out of air shot before cracking up with laughter. Rose rolled her eyes and watched him with hands on hips. 'Al Potter' just looked disgruntled.

"See," Scorpius said, "this is why I like your family – the entertainment value."

"Yeah, yeah," muttered 'Al Potter'. "Now come on, I want dinner." The three of them headed in the direction that Lily came from.

James, in shadows was exceptionally puzzled, wondering if he'd joined Alice down the rabbit hole. Everything was not quite right. There was a Slytherin and two Gryffindors acting like the best of friends, and the Slytherin was apparently a Potter. There was a pretty girl and few years younger than his Lily, but looking a lot like her. No one had jumped out of him and yelled "got you!" yet. The corridor, was slightly different from what he was used to seeing, some things looked a little more worn, while others looked newer.

He followed the trio, keeping to the shadows, not trusting it wasn't a trick, and wanting to know more in case it wasn't. They were heading in the direction of what was the Great Hall, chattering about this and that. It seemed that they had just arrived back from Christmas break and were catching up on news, school work and other various bits and pieces. Quidditch came up – Slytherin versus Hufflepuff, which Slytherin was expected to win.

In the Entrance Hall the boys went on ahead while the girl paused to look at what appeared to be a wall carved with various names. 'Al Potter' and Scorpius turned when they realised Rose wasn't keeping up with them and came back to the wall. All three stood and stared at it.

It was titled "The Battle of Hogwarts – those who died so we might live in freedom". James wasn't close enough to make out the names, but he was more than a little struck by the image. A few other students walked through to the Great Hall paying no attention to either the three or the wall. James was astonished, how could they not notice this huge monument, where there had been none just a few hours earlier? Another couple crossed the Hall, and glanced at the wall, before continuing on. However, all this was adding up to James' current theory: he was unconscious, possibly given some sort of hallucinogen by the Slytherins and this was what he was seeing.

James had to move closer to hear what the three were discussing, but no one gave him a second glance. Rose's finger was on the wall idly tracing a name. The two boys flanked her. 'Al Potter' looking a little tired, Scorpius resigned.

"Do you ever wonder," Rose asked, "what it means for some people to walk past this list of names? I mean, what about Teddy, he had to walk past this everyday and know that his parents names were on here – he had to be reminded _everyday_ that they were dead. Or what about Fred? And all she was named for."

"I get Rose," snapped 'Al Potter'. His fingers jabbed at one of the names and then another. "Albus Dumbledore. Severus Snape." James jumped at the sound of the names and a tiny first year passing by gave him an odd look.

"I often wonder," added Scorpius, a little more slowly, "about my father. He could have died that day, if it hadn't been for your uncle Rose – your dad, Al – but no one would have put his name up here. Rose, we all know why it is here. We don't forget."

"Perhaps we should."

"Albus Potter, you did not just say that," Rose rounded on him, hands on hips. Behind her Scorpius rolled his eyes.

"Oh, I didn't mean it like that Rose! I just meant like what you were saying, what these names mean to the people who walk past. I'm not saying we should forget what happened, but people look at this and they see the names. These weren't the only people who died to save us from Voldemort, they weren't the only ones who sacrificed something, but these are the names that everyone remembers because they died in the last battle. We should be remembering why they fought, more than anything. And we should be remembering _everyone_ who fought. I look at these names and I see the ones I'm named for, and the ones I'm related to, Teddy's parents and I know that Dad knew pretty much everyone on this list….I don't know. I'm not sure really what I'm trying to say…"

Rose and Scorpius were openly gaping at him, when a third boy came up and threw his arms around the three of them.

"Well, if it isn't my three favourite people!"

"I'd be careful, if I was you," 'Al Potter' told him, dropping the previous conversation in favour of a less challenging one. Or perhaps he was embarrassed about his outburst. James wasn't in a position to be able to tell.

"Why?" the new kid asked.

"Lily's on a warpath. Said something about writing to Mum and Dad," 'Al' reported.

The boy blanched. "Oh no! She can't do that. I've got to stop her!" he turned and raced off.

"I know he brings it on himself, but I still can't help feeling sorry for him," mused Scorpius his eyes watching his friend disappear.

'Al' snorted. "That's because you don't know him well, enough." Rose nodded in agreement. Without a second thought, the three of them turned into the Great Hall, disappearing from sight.

In the Entrance Hall, James stood unsure whether to follow or to find some other way of finding out about what was going on. He had no real reason to follow Rose, Scorpius and 'Al' other than the surname 'Potter'. Though if anything these three showed just how wrong everything around him was. A Potter in Slytherin and a Malfoy in Gryffindor – weren't they as pure blood mad as any of Sirius' family? They wouldn't want to be in a house with mudbloods, and blood traitors would they?

Before he could come to a decision, his attention was caught by the memorial wall. He certainly didn't remember any Battle of Hogwarts. He may not be Professor Binns' most attentive student, but he was pretty sure something as big as a fight large enough for a memorial would have been common knowledge. He moved forward to examine it. Perhaps the names would give him a clue. The first few names were a mixture of familiar and unfamiliar. Some of the surnames he knew, but by and large the first initials meant nothing, and then others were completely unknown to him, for example _'Creevy, C. Student.'_ meant nothing to him.

'_Lupin, R.J. Professor, Defence Against the Dark Arts.'_

He almost missed the name it was so familiar and so unexpected his eyes almost skimmed right past it without even realising its import, who that really was. And when the realisation hit, he almost fell over in shock. _Remus?_ But it couldn't be? There must be other R.J. Lupins. Maybe he was in some parallel dimension where Remus was dead in some battle. Maybe a nightmare.

Horror made him scan the names, but there was no Black, no Potter, no Evans, and he almost forgot, but no Pettigrew either. A couple of other names stood out a few pure blood names: Weasley and some students who he'd gone to school with, a _Tonks-Lupin, N. _and then:

'_Snape, S. Professor, Potions, Defence Against the Dark Arts, Headmaster.'_

Surely some parallel dimension or a nightmare or hell. Who in god's name would make _Snivellous_ a professor, let alone a headmaster? The guy was as steeped in the Dark Arts as they came, and here he was being honoured for the freedom of others.

"I don't know who you are, and I don't know where you are from, but I do know you aren't student of the school, no matter how you are dressed. You had better start explaining and fast."

James spun to find himself on the end of a wand pointed by a scowling man, a professor by the looks of it, and an angry one.

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	2. Chapter 2

A/N: Well possibly a little later than I intended, but here it is. Chapter Two!

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James stared down the wand, not sure what to think, or what to say. This all seemed so very real and so very wrong. How did one begin to respond to it? He wanted to go for his wand, he felt defenceless and vulnerable standing here at wand point of a strange man, but he couldn't see how he could get his wand out and up before this man got off a spell off. He was a fair dueller, but even he didn't like the odds.

Lips tightening further, the man in front of him raised an eye brow. "That battle there," he indicated the memorial behind James, "I fought in that, and as you can see, I'm still alive. If I were you, I would explain myself very quickly."

"I'm not saying anything – this is all some trick that the Slytherins thought up isn't, some potion they gave me, or some spell to make me see things like this!"

The man regarded him solemnly for a few moments. "And what should you being seeing?"

"Not this!" James waved a hand around unsure how to put into words what he was seeing. Everything was slightly off, not right, and yet everything was acting like it was normal.

"Perhaps we better start with your name?"

"What's yours?" he asked a little sullenly.

"Neville Longbottom, Herbology Professor and Deputy Headmaster of Hogwarts school of Witchcraft and Wizardry."

"Professor McGonagall is the Deputy Head," James said, happy to prove this strange man wrong. But Longbottom, he knew that name – Frank Longbottom had been two years ahead of him at Hogwarts and was now training to be an Auror. His parents were good friends of James'.

"Minerva McGonagall retired twenty years ago." Something began to click in James' mind, but it didn't have time to settle. "Now your name, before I escort you to the ministry at wand point."

"James Potter."

"I've known James Potter since he was born. I've known his parents since they started Hogwarts – you may have a reasonable likeness, but you are not him. Now who are you?" The last sentence came out through gritted teeth as the so-called Professor Longbottom's jaw tightened and lines appeared around his eyes. His wand didn't waver, his arm held sure and with confidence, though it had to be aching by now.

James was on his last straw, and this impostor wasn't helping matters. Clearly someone was trying to play tricks on his mind, drive him insane and he didn't appreciate the effort.

"I am James Potter. I am a student at Hogwarts. _I_ have known the Longbottom family all _my_ life. And there certainly isn't a 'Neville' in it. Frank Longbottom was two years ahead of me at school and his parents are friends of my parents. That isn't your real name anymore than there is an 'Albus Potter' or a—"

Whatever else James intended to say was abruptly cut off, as 'Neville's' hand shot out and grabbed his chin, dragging his face around until it was level with his own. James found himself on the receiving end of a gaze that was intent, but no longer showed any sign of hostility, more like shock and realisation.

Released, he stumbled back trying to get his balance, and he ended up propping himself against the memorial wall.

"Impossible!" murmured 'Professor Neville Longbottom'. "There is no way…but," and he turned his eyes back to James, "you look like Albus, who looks like Harry, who looks like…well, you."

Just then a timid female voice interrupted the two. "Dad?"

'Professor Longbottom' and James turned at the sound the voice to see three small girls, probably second or third years staring at them with wide eyes. How much of the scene they had witnessed, James was unsure of, and he could see that 'Professor Longbottom' was as well. He appeared to be rapidly trying to figure out what to say.

At last he spoke, "It's all right August. You, Miss Smith and Miss Bradley, go on to dinner now, you're a little late. I just have to take young James here up to my office." A hand clamped down on James shoulder and he tried to shrug it off, but it only tightened its grip, fingers digging in painfully.

The three girls crossed the Entrance Hall throwing the two odd, mistrustful glances and as soon as they walked through door, and before it closed, James saw them turn to each other and start to whisper.

"Brilliant," muttered the false professor. "Now the whole school will know in under five minutes."

Had the man actually been a Hogwarts professor he should have known that it was inevitable no matter who witnessed the scene (or even if no one did), and James would have had no qualms about pointing this out to him. As it stood, James decided silence was the better part of staying alive and kept his mouth shut.

"All right, James, say I believe you and you are James Potter, Hogwarts student, then you'll have to believe me when I say you are very much in the wrong place and that should you stay here, you might just destroy the world as we know it. Literally."

In James experience, professors generally weren't quite so melodramatic, but he still had no reason to believe 'Professor Longbottom'. "Why should I?" he asked.

"Because James Potter, I do know you. Your three best friends are Sirius Black, Remus Lupin and Peter Pettigrew – you call yourself the Marauders and you are unregistered animagi. Your enemy is Severus Snape and one of your main sources of contention is Lily Evans who is his best friend and the woman you love. The reason why everything doesn't look quite right is that it has been fifty years since you were last a student at this school."

More convinced than ever that this was some dark trick, James used the fact that the man – who knew entirely too much about him – had his wand pointing down to cast a spell.

In turn, he had to duck his own curse as it bounced off a flawless and silently cast shield charm. 'Professor Longbottom' had not spoken and he had barely lifted his wand.

"Also, from everything I know about you, you are in all probability an excellent dueller. However, I trained with one of the greatest living wizards during a war. If that isn't enough there is a hall full of students and teachers through that door who will come to my aid if they see a stranger throwing curses at me.

"If you come with me now, I can take you up and explain what is happening, and perhaps find someone who can convince you, and we can avoid further unpleasantness." He stood aside and indicated that James should go on ahead.

James was not going to be fooled by this man. He might be outclassed, but he refused to go quietly. He shook his head and told 'Professor Longbottom' where he could stick it.

The 'Professor' just sighed, shook his head, and waved his wand. A few short minutes later James found himself floating up the main stairs, bound hand and foot, gagged and without a wand.

They encountered no one on their journey, not that James thought he could expect any help even if they did. However, while he spent most of the time trying his best to trying and will his way out of his predicament, he eventually gave up and had to admit that there were some things beginning to add up. Particularly, the part about it being fifty years in the future – though he had to admit he was impressed at this man who knew about him after all this time. Maybe he was famous.

Lost in thought he didn't realise they had come to a stop outside the entrance to the Head's office until 'Professor Longbottom' spoke.

"I'm sorry – and I do mean that. I once had a friend cast the full body bind on me. She apologised and told me it was for a very good reason, which it was, but I didn't find that out until later. Gilly Weed." The door to the office slid open and 'Professor Longbottom' floated James on up.

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